Mayor Pro Tem Javier Figueroa

Background & Family

Figueroa was born in Monterrey, Mexico and raised in Bay City, Texas. Javier has lived in Pierce County since 1978. In 1991, he moved to University Place. Figueroa has been married to his wife, Mary Kay, since 1981 and has four children.

Experience

Figueroa has 31 years of experience in real estate asset management. Figueroa's experience in the real estate field encompasses the specialized fields in:

Sales
Development
Appraising
Project management
Environmental issues
Property rights

He has been recognized nationally and internationally for his expertise in real estate negotiations, public right-of-ways, and financing of energy efficiency. Professional positions include serving as the Lands Program Manager for the WA State Parks and Recreation Commission and as Executive Vice President of Rockmann Development Group, LLC.

Current & Past Council Roles

Mayor Pro Tem 2022 to 2024
Pierce County Regional Council Executive Board Member 2022 to 2024
Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board Member 2022 to 2024
Puget Sound Regional Council Operations Committee 2022 to 2024
Central District Economic Development Board 2022 to 2024
Mayor 2016 to 2017
Mayor Pro Tem 2014 to 2015
Council's Finance Chair 2010 to 2013
Rainier Communications Commission, President
2015 U.S. Open Task Force, Member
WSDOT Tacoma Narrows Bridge Work Group, Member

Volunteer Work

A native of Monterrey, Mexico, Council Member Figueroa is the first naturalized citizen from Mexico to be elected as a city council member in the State of Washington. Deeply committed to the community, Figueroa has volunteered in a variety of community programs, from being a University Place Parks Commissioner to a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the Pierce County Juvenile Court System, and from being a board member for The Grand Cinema, Audubon Society, Washington State Aging Council, to serving as a certified arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau of Washington, since 1995.

Interests

Figueroa is an accomplished racquetball player, avid reader, chess player, golfer, and enjoys cooking.

Professional Highlights

Authored the Trans-Canada Trail Province of British Columbia Report "Trail Issues & Opportunities for Telecommunications & Utility Purposes," funded by the Province of British Columbia.
Lecturer/consultant for the British Columbia Asset and Land Corporation: Presented workshops: "Fiber Optic Telecom Opportunities/Demand in the Pacific Northwest;" "Public Policy Development for Telecom Pricing;" "Negotiation Approaches and Principles;" and "Implementation of Documents."
Technical lead & Co-Author "Washington State Home Energy Rating System Business Plan."
Designated panel member and guest speaker at The White House Conference on Global Climate Change, at the invitation of the White House Office of Environmental Policy.
Secretariat and Co-Author of Action #8 of the 1993 U.S. Climate Change Action Plan.
U.S. Delegate to the 1994 Environmental Conference in Moscow, Russia, at the invitation of the Russian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.

Figueroa served 12 years in the Armed Forces (Army).